********************************************************** Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre Nanyang Technological University, Singapore http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/
********************************************************** Don't forget to check out my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** How the world wide web has ushered in a new age of digital democracy http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3386033.ece The internet in France : no place for terrorists, says Interior Minister of France http://www.webinfrance.com/the-internet-in-france-no-place-for-terrorists-says-interior-minister-of-france-251.html US Senate Authorizes Broad Expansion Of Surveillance Act http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/12/AR2008021201202.html Is Facebook a privacy concern? http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23217784-15306,00.html Australian government war on music piracy http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/16/1202760662778.html A clampdown is music to the record industry's ears http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/17/3 In the new China, sex can still be the stuff of scandal http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/feb/16/china Beijing athletes allowed to blog http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7248201.stm IOC gives go-ahead for blogs at Beijing [Reuters] http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142534-c,onlineentertainment/article.html Wikipedia defies 180,000 demands to remove images of the Prophet http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/17/wikipedia.islam uk: 'Happy slapping' teenager convicted http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/happy-slapping-teenager-convicted-782558.html UK online content providers sign up to code of conduct to protect children http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/18/news uk: Task force to tackle harmful web content http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/17/nweb217.xml au: Web porn software filter takes biggest hit http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/16/1203190635858.html UK net firms reject monitoring role http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7246403.stm ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** How the world wide web has ushered in a new age of digital democracy Internet users are increasingly determined to play an active role in influencing the way in which online information is viewed by others, according to the chief executive of one of the world's leading information-sharing websites. Jay Adelson, the co-founder and chief executive of Digg, said: “There's a groundswell of interest among internet users in actively contributing to the internet's content and, perhaps more importantly, influencing the way information is viewed by others. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3386033.ece The internet in France : no place for terrorists, says Interior Minister of France Now sites in France featuring recipes for building explosives, terrorist propaganda, racial invective and incitement to hatred and violence will soon join child pornography on the ‘blacklist” of Internet sites prohibited in France. http://www.webinfrance.com/the-internet-in-france-no-place-for-terrorists-says-interior-minister-of-france-251.html Gay Africans and Arabs come out online [Reuters] When Ali started blogging that he was Sudanese and gay, he did not realize he was joining a band of African and Middle Eastern gays and lesbians who, in the face of hostility and repression, have come out online. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL0830007120080218 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Cell Phone Use Linked To Increased Cancer Risk A recent study says frequent cell phone users face a 50% greater risk of developing tumors of the parotid gland than those who don't use cell phones. Frequent cell phone users face a 50% greater risk of developing tumors of the parotid gland than those who don't use cell phones, according to a recently published study. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206504325 Only in Japan: The Best Technologies You Can't Buy [IDG] Just a few years ago Japan's lead in all things digital was easy to see. Japanese consumers could buy new domestic gadgets from companies like Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic, often a year or two before they hit the market in other countries. But now things have changed. With gadgets increasingly coming out at the same time around the world, it's no longer the hardware that makes something cool, but what you can do with it. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142120/article.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** US Senate Authorizes Broad Expansion Of Surveillance Act The Senate yesterday approved a sweeping measure that would expand the government's clandestine surveillance powers, delivering a key victory to the White House by approving immunity from lawsuits for telecommunications companies that cooperated with intelligence agencies in domestic spying after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/12/AR2008021201202.html au: iiNet warns of hoax email scam iiNet warns of hoax email scamiiNet, Australia’s third largest ISP, is warning users to be aware of a hoax email purporting to be from the internet provider’s support department and requesting the disclosure of passwords. http://www.securecomputing.net.au/news/70370,iinet-warns-of-hoax-email-scam.aspx ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Is Facebook a privacy concern? The popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook has sparked spirited debate around the privacy of users, but experts are divided on whether sites really breach user privacy. Sal Humphreys, a researcher at Queensland University of Technology’s ARC centre of excellence for the creative industries and innovation, said many users don’t realise what information they’re giving away when they click the ‘I accept’ button when registering with a social networking site. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23217784-15306,00.html ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** Get Ready for a Crackdown on Broadband Use As traffic increases, experts say ISPs may start charging by the gigabyte, limiting use of some services and snooping at the data passing through their networks. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142476/article.html Australian government war on music piracy As the internet threatens to kill the established music industry, the Rudd Government is considering a three-strikes policy against computer users who download songs illegally. The Government will examine new legislative proposals being unveiled in Britain this week to target people who download films and music illegally. ISPs there might be legally required to take action against users who access pirated material. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/16/1202760662778.html A clampdown is music to the record industry's ears ... Accepting the music industry's demands would mean a radical transformation of the ISPs' role - changing them from common carriers into organisations which have to know about every file they handle. This would be technically challenging and have terrifying implications for privacy; but it would also create horrendous legal liabilities for ISPs. As common carriers, they have very limited responsibility for what users do with their services; but as Taylor's proxy snoopers they could be held liable - and not just for copyright infringement, but for lots of other questionable or controversial activities that people get up to on the net. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/17/3 Prince, Village People to sue Swedish download site [AFP] Prince and the Village People plan to take a Swedish website to court for allowing users to download their songs without permission - if they can work out who to sue, their lawyer said. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/16/2164475.htm ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Russia's Medvedev lauds online media freedom [Reuters] Russia's president-in-waiting Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday media freedoms are guaranteed in Russia -- by the Internet. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1590771120080215 In the new China, sex can still be the stuff of scandal The controversy over the posting of explicit images of celebrities reflects the resilience of old taboos outside the big cities http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/feb/16/china Beijing athletes allowed to blog The International Olympic Committee is for the first time permitting athletes to write blogs. The IOC has set out guidelines for blogging at the Beijing games to ensure copyright agreements are not infringed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7248201.stm Blog away, AOC tells Olympians The Beijing Olympics are set to become the "blog Games" after Australian athletes were given the green light to express their views for the first time in blogs they write during the Olympics. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23231455-16123,00.html Australia will not gag Beijing blogs: AOC Australian Olympics chief John Coates says the AOC's management will not to police blogs written by its athletes at this year's Beijing Games. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/17/2164887.htm IOC gives go-ahead for blogs at Beijing [Reuters] The International Olympic Committee on Friday gave the green light to allow blogging at the Olympics for the first time, issuing guidelines for this August's Beijing Games. Athletes have long demanded they be allowed to write their blogs--online journals of personal opinion or reflection--during the Games but the IOC was concerned these could potentially infringe on copyright agreements and private information. http://www.news.com/2100-1026_3-6230842.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142534-c,onlineentertainment/article.html Wikipedia defies 180,000 demands to remove images of the Prophet Wikipedia is refusing to remove medieval artistic depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, despite being flooded with complaints from Muslims demanding the images be deleted. More than 180,000 worldwide have joined an online protest claiming the images, shown on European-language pages and taken from Persian and Ottoman miniatures dating from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, are offensive to Islam, which prohibits any representation of Muhammad. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/17/wikipedia.islam ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ uk: 'Happy slapping' teenager convicted Police warned yesterday that those who take part in the trend of filming violent attacks on their mobile phones will not escape the law, after the first conviction was secured against a teenager who recorded a so-called "happy slapping" incident. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/happy-slapping-teenager-convicted-782558.html UK online content providers sign up to code of conduct to protect children Media companies including the BBC, Channel 4, Google, Yahoo and social-networking site Bebo have signed up to a new code of conduct, to be announced today, designed to give parents more information about the suitability for children of audiovisual content available on the internet and mobile phones. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/18/news uk: Task force to tackle harmful web content A task force is to look at ways to tackle illegal and undesirable content on the internet and to consider action against websites that encourage suicide and self-harm. The cluster of teenage suicides in and around the Welsh town of Bridgend has sparked panic among parents after many of the victims posted messages on tribute sites. Doctors also expressed fears about pro-anorexia websites. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/17/nweb217.xml uk: Text scams warning to youngsters The Office of Fair Trading sends text messages to 18 to 24-year-olds warning them about scams. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7246923.stm au: Web porn software filter takes biggest hit THE Rudd Government has branded as a failure the $85 million software filter scheme to protect young Australians from online pornography and will review its future. Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is assessing the NetAlert program, which will come under scrutiny at the Senate estimates hearings tomorrow. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/16/1203190635858.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/02/16/1203190635858.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/16/1202760663247.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/02/16/1203190626634.html Safe online havens for kids: Parents can relax - there are secure websites for kids, writes Lia Timson. At a time when cyber stalking is daily news, it's no wonder parents are often confused about which websites they should let their children visit. But if you want to stay on top of what kids are doing online without being too intrusive, and be able to make occasional cool suggestions, read on. We've compiled a list of favourites with the help of pint-size assistants. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/16/1202760657601.html Australian Government Considers Copying UK Copyright Law Ideas http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/02/18/0138221 au: NetAlert not so alert Last year the former Howard government tried to help us protect ourselves and our kiddies from internet nasties by investing in a $190 million dollar "NetAlert" program. The government-sponsored porn-blocking internet filter made headlines when it was cracked by a schoolboy within a couple of weeks of being released. http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/02/18/netalert.html Australische Regierung strebt zum Kinderschutz staatlich verordnete Filterung an Im vergangenen Sommer hatte die inzwischen abgewählte konservative Regierung Australiens das fast 190 Millionen US-Dollar teure Programm NetAlert gestartet. Im Kern des Programms steht die Aufforderung an die Eltern, ihre Kinder durch die Installierung von Web-Filtern vor Online-Pornografie zu schützen. Die neue Regierung hat das Programm nun bereits als Fehlschlag gebrandmarkt. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/103630 us: New face of harassment: Cyberbullying Bullying can no longer be chalked up to the traditional image of the biggest kid in the schoolyard demanding milk money. Today’s educators report that from snarky comments whispered in school hallways to physical contact, bullying is perpetrated by kids of all ages and backgrounds. But the newest and most prevalent form of harassment stems from the constantly changing world of the Internet: cyberbullying. http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/12110/ ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** UK net firms reject monitoring role UK net firms are resisting government suggestions that they should do more to monitor what customers do online. The industry association for net providers, ISPA, said legal and technical barriers prohibit them from being anything other than a "mere conduit". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7246403.stm ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Vodafone may quit Australia – IDC Technology researcher IDC says Telstra's decision to switch on superfast broadband in 900 exchanges in provincial and rural Australian towns may trigger a chain of events that could lead to Vodafone exiting Australia. http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4405810a28.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the most recent edition of the domain news, including an RSS feed - already online! The domain name news is supported by auDA For information on subscriptions to the domain name and/or general internet news please contact me. For archives of postings to the list, see http://lists.technewsreview.com.au/pipermail/technewsreview/. Also see http://technewsreview.com.au/ for recent updates. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2007 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David @yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home) "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address. www.yahoo7.com.au/y7mail _______________________________________________ APPLe mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.apnic.net/mailman/listinfo/apple
